Ecology in Context: Research Strategies and Applications for Undergraduates

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ABSTRACT Berkowitz Proposal DBI- 9988029The Institute of Ecosystem Studies' Research Experiences for Undergraduates (IES-REU) program immerses students in a highly interactive, research oriented environment, and fosters an understanding of the contexts along with the practices of ecological research. Anticipated outcomes are: (1) Students develop excellent science process skills. (2) Students acquire broad perspectives on ecology in the context of both science and society to address real-world problems. (3) Students develop a strong background in several branches of ecology. (4) Students are better equipped to choose and pursue a career in ecology. (5) The program contributes to the field of ecology by providing quality training for a diverse group of students. (6) We disseminate a well documented and evaluated model for student training. The 114 participants in our 1988-1999 programs included 32% minorities and 66 % women; over 86 % of those who have graduated currently are in graduate school or are working in science. The 2000-2002 program builds on the strengths of our past program and will bring 10 students to IES for a twelve-week program each summer, 8 with NSF funds and 2 with funds from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The program has three components: (1)Student Research Projects - working closely with a mentor scientist, each student delineates a research question and associated hypotheses, develops and implements the project, analyzes data, gives an oral presentation in a formal Research Symposium and writes a paper for an IES Occasional Publication. (2) Research Strategies for the undergraduate - workshops give explicit training in the tools essential for research and foster student reflection. (3) Research in Context - discussions, case studies, and seminars broaden students' perspectives on the various contexts and applications of science, including a full-day Forum on Opportunities in Ecology that exposes students to a broad range of careers in science and applications of ecology in the modern world.